Keeping Up With The Tiny People On My Screen
My May 2025 TV watches and what I would rate each 📺
Hello, Previously On-ers! I hope you all had a great May filled with amazing television.
This issue of KUWTTPOMS is coming out a little later than usual, but I don’t control BIG calendar™, so there’s not much I can do about that. Getting it out early was never an option in my fantasy, but it’s here now. Let us be gladddddd, let us be gratefulllll!
In my opinion, this was the best month of television so far this year. I feel like I got out of my viewing slump and enjoyed most of what I watched in May. I hope the second half of the year continues to deliver. Things are getting a little quieter as we head into the summer, but it will be a good time to slow down and maybe revisit some old favorites or catch up on a few shows that got lost in the shuffle.
**Beware of some spoilers below! Don’t say I didn’t warn you! You can always jump around to what you are caught up on or take note of shows you want to watch!**
Rating Scale:
*some combo of: how much I enjoyed the show + how much I recommend that you watch*
📺 📺 📺 📺 📺 = Loved it! Run and press play now! Go!
📺 📺 📺 📺 = A great watch, but it can wait until you have time.
📺 📺 📺 = In the words of Sheree Whitfield, “It was cute! I liked the beat.”
📺 📺 = See for yourself, but I would save my time on this one.
📺 = Oh! She’s here too!
This Month’s Watchlist:
New Watches in May:
The Four Seasons (Season 1)
This was a quick watch. It felt tonally different than most of Tina Fey’s other work. She leaned more into the drama side of dramedy. I enjoyed the honest exploration of marriage and relationships. Everyone was a little fucked up in their own way, but they still found a way back to each other. I think that’s hopeful and real. Colman Domingo is great in everything and I enjoyed getting to see him in something lighter where he could flex his comedic chops. His dynamic with Tina Fey and Kerri Kenney-Silver was a highlight. Overall, the show left me wanting a little bit more. Maybe next season.
I did not like the twist at the end (don’t read past this sentence if you don’t want a spoiler). Steve Carell already died in a car crash in The Morning Show. I did not need it to happen again in this show. I can’t fully explain why it turned me off so much, but it just felt like the lowest-hanging fruit. Why does a character need to die to have everyone understand the meaning of life? It felt cliche. The reveal at the end was also predictable, but I am interested to see where they go in the second season. I thought this was going to be a limited series, but we know that never happens these days.
Watch it on Netflix.
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 Etoile (Season 1)
This show was all over the place. Sometimes in a good way, mostly not. Having it take place in both New York and France was an intriguing premise, but I think it causes the series to lose focus. It was only eight episodes but it felt like twenty because a thousand storylines were happening at once in different locations, with characters that were often hard to keep track of. I think there is a less chaotic version of the show somewhere that could emerge in a second season.
It didn’t quite capture the same charm as Amy Sherman Palladino’s other shows. There wasn’t one character where I said “Oh, I love them!” The character that probably came the closest was Mishi, especially her dynamic with Cheyenne’s mom, Bruna. I do appreciate that the characters in the show are complicated, though. A lot of the storylines felt underbaked, including with Gael and also SuSu, who I wanted to see more of as this underdog archetype. If you want Amy’s take on ballet, then turn on her much better show Bunheads instead. That’s certainly what I will do.
Watch it on Amazon Prime.
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Season 2)
Every time I think there can’t possibly be any more interpersonal conflict with the people on this, there is a new piece of drama uncovered. It’s the gift that keeps on giving and I never get tired of it. Taylor will always be the star of the show. Demi could never make me hate her. I enjoyed delving into the lives of the other women and learning more about their history and relationships, particularly Mikayla and Mayci. I don’t want to see Taylor’s family on my screen anymore! That includes Liann, Uncle Fester her father, and her brother, who pissed me off after only one scene. Her sister is the only one who seems normal, so she can stay.
All of the issues with Jen just make me sad. It was hard to watch and it veered into dark territory, but at the end of the day, it all felt authentic to her experiences. I just want better for her and for the other ladies to give her some damn grace. It was important for her and production to come to the conclusion that she needed a break from the cameras, and I am glad someone was looking out for her well-being.
The ending?! Showing us that there is already more filmed?! Cruelty! I know that they ordered 20 episodes, so I am unsure if we are getting a second part of this season or a third season to follow shortly. All I know is that I need it immediately. Between this show and RHOSLC, I need to make a trip to Utah for research purposes.
If you missed it, you can read my fun little newsletter below about what cast members I would go to Swig with.
Watch it on Hulu.
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 📺 📺 Overcompensating (Season 1)
I think Benito Skinner knows he doesn’t look like a college student anymore! You can stop discoursing about it! Mindy Kaling cast a 32-year-old as a high schooler (very strange choice), so put the weapons down!
The pilot was clunky, so I wasn’t sure how I felt about it for a few episodes. I couldn’t distinguish when the show took place, which left me feeling strangely irritated and unable to connect with the time and place of what I was watching. However, as I got the lay of the land in the next few episodes, I felt more at ease. By the end, the show had won me over. I was in college a few years after the show takes place (confirmed to be 2013), so it all feels very real to my experiences. I don’t know how to explain this, but the show feels like the portal opening for a Glee revival…watch this space.
Wally Baram was excellent as Carmen. I can’t believe this was her first major acting role. She was so natural onscreen and reminded me of all of the best friends that I made in college. I am glad her story felt fleshed out and not just in service of Benny’s journey. I appreciate that the story didn’t try to rush Benny’s coming out. It’s refreshing to see it play out how it would likely happen in real life; slowly but surely. I am invested in the characters and eager to see how the dynamics shift next season.
Just know that I will be discussing the diva above, Hailee or HMM, in another post.
Watch it on Amazon Prime.
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 📺 Couples Therapy (Season 4B)
This is a show about real people, but not in a reality television kind of way, so I don’t want to discuss it like I am reviewing a therapy session. That feels weird to me. However, I loved the second half of this season. I struggled a bit to engage with the first half because of the couples and their stories. They just didn’t click for me. I was really invested in the couples in 4B however. I was rooting for all four of them to work through their issues. There were a few moments where I got emotional, empathizing with the experiences of the couples and their individual pasts.
I also love getting to see Orna interact with her counselor, Dr. Virginia Goldner, and her peer advisory group. It’s exhilarating when they disagree on something that happened in one of her sessions and I really enjoy getting to hear the differing perspectives on patterns of behavior and dynamics. I could watch an entire episode of them going back and forth. Where’s the spin-off?
Watch it on Paramount+ with Showtime.
My Rating: Respectfully not going to rate this, as it deals with very real people in a non-reality television setting. Sirens (Limited Series)
I am mostly tired of rich people satire, but the performances in this show elevated it for me. I do think it needed to be a bit longer, which is not something I often think in the limited series world. The coupling of Simone and Peter felt abrupt, with minimal time given to build up to it. I wanted it to feel more grounded and for the ramifications of this choice to build more, especially with Devon and Michaela. I think the ending would have landed better if we got more tension mounting before the air was let out of the balloon.
I want to read the creator Molly Smith Metzler’s play Elemeno Pea, which she adapted into Sirens. I am intrigued to see what changes were made and if that is the reason the show left more to be desired at the end. Adaptations of plays into television or movies don’t always stick the landing. One thing is undeniable, Meghann Fahy is a STAR! She’s truly the highlight of everything she is in. Magnetic without having to overdo anything. She’s just a natural and so charismatic onscreen. She reminds me of Sandra Bullock and Julia Roberts and their sensibilities in film and television.
Watch it on Netflix.
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 📺 RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars (Season 10)
This is the best All Stars season in a long time. I was ready to never watch another round of it again after the string of flops we had been delivered. However, I think the bracket format finally introduced something fresh for the audience. The stakes feel real this time around while giving each queen enough time to shine. Now, I would not be mad if each bracket was one episode longer, but I’ll take what I can get.
The orange bracket was a great introduction to the new format. I loved having Aja back on my screen. She’s just a delight and her lip sync to Think You The Shit (Fart) has stayed on my mind, especially her little dance. Irene the Alien has rubbed me the wrong way since her original season, and I am mostly ambivalent still. Congratulations to her for making such a stellar comeback though.
However, the pink bracket has delivered the drama and riggory. Mistress Isabel Brooks, the villain that you are. Nicole Paige Brooks is television gold. Everything that comes out of her mouth is raw and unfiltered. Old school drag with her Pleakley wigs. Give me twenty more episodes of it! I can’t wait to see who makes it to the finale and then what the purple bracket has to give us! I am ready for Daya Betty!
Watch it on Paramount+.
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 📺 Forever (Season 1)
My mother used to watch Girlfriends when I was younger (let’s be real, I was watching it too), so I was familiar with Mara Brock Akil’s work. This show was such a delight. The recent Judy Blume adaptations have felt earned and shown how you can truly turn older source material into something new. Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr. were a great pairing as the leads and very believable as teens in love.
Karen Pittman as Justin’s mom, Dawn brought nuance to the role. She felt like a fully realized character with her own hopes, fears, and dreams. I love to see her getting good material that isn’t The Morning Show (second mention in this newsletter, oops). Xosha Roquemore was also excellent as Keisha’s mom, Shelly. I really enjoyed seeing the bond between her and Keisha. Not everyone hates their parents when they are a teenager and it was nice to see that dynamic, especially in contrast to Dawn and Justin, who are more combative.
I am not quite sure why it was set in 2018, but I am glad it was evident from the start and never took me out of the story or dated the material. It feels like a timeless tale of young love. The ending felt both sad and hopeful. I think a second season will be great and allow for exploration of their lives in college and beyond.
Watch it on Netflix.
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 📺 Adults (Season 1)
TW: mention of sexual harassment
I am still confused by the choices made in the pilot of this show. Why was it framed around sexual harassment 😭. If you were going to have this episode, it feels like one you save for a few episodes into the season. Introducing us to the character dynamics this way felt strange. I have seen so many people have the same thoughts and want to stop watching, which is a shame because the later episodes are better. By the halfway mark, I actually found myself liking the show overall. I think the chemistry within the cast is the biggest strength of the show, along with the humor that it finds later in the season. Owen Thiele as Anton is a clear standout for me and I am glad he was better utilized here than in Overcompensating.
Sometimes it feels like a show about Gen Z written by a Millennial, which would not be an issue if some of the choices didn’t seem entirely removed from the reality of being a 20-something. I know it’s “just a show” but can we at least try to be a bit more authentic? If anyone has gotten a job after one interview, please let me know and if I can also apply, I can send you my resume! If there is a second season, I hope the show works on the creaky parts. I do want to find out what happens between Paul Baker, Anton, and Issa. Celine Song would love this plotline!
Watch it on FX on Hulu.
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 And Just Like That (Season 3)
There’s only been one episode so far, but that’s enough for a show like this. There is so much happening, but also nothing that amounts to much? Charlotte is dealing with her dog, Seema is dealing with her absent beau, Lisa is dealing with the PBS people, Miranda is dealing with dating, and Carrie is dealing with a useless man named Aidan Shaw. You are pretty much caught up! Also featured are some questionable outfits and pieces of dialogue. What are they doing in the writers’ room? I would love to be a fly on the wall.
One thing from the premiere that I will never get over is Rosie O’Donnell as a lesbian nun named Mary singing “Who can say that I’ve been changed for the better, but because I knew you, I have been changed for good” to Miranda for as long as I live. Elphaba and Glinda found dead! I love how Rosie has just been making the cameo circuit on HBO Max. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t going to keep watching. There’s something wrong with me! And Just Like That, I still can’t turn the shit off.
Watch it on HBO Max.
My Rating: 📺 📺 Poker Face (Season 2)
My favorite episode so far was “Sloppy Joseph.” The episodes last season felt sharper and there were more hits, but there is still a lot to go in this season, so maybe there will be more standouts. I also liked the baseball episode, but I was sad to see Charlie leave after she found community there. She can’t catch a break for once? Now she has Bad Seed threatening to find her when she grows up.
I think the reveals have started to feel a little redundant and the mysteries a little repetitive. I am not sure how long this show will last, but for now, I still find myself tuning in for Charlie Cale and her antics. The show might start to feel stale with another season unless there is a new angle to approach it from. Part of me misses Cliff LeGrand from the first season being on her tail, but I know that had to end. How can Rian Johnson play around with the format and make it fresh again?
Natasha Lyonne, I have nothing for you! You know what you did!
Watch it on Peacock.
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 Ongoing Watches from April:
Found (Season 2)
I can’t believe they canceled my emotional support wackadoodle show. Whoever pulled the plug on this will begin to cough in seven days. As silly as the plotlines on the show could be, I was still invested! I hope that another streamer picks it up for another season. Let it be a Peacock exclusive! That cliffhanger?! And you’re telling me we might never get the aftermath? I need to know what happens to Gabi after her big reveal. Is Sir dead? What might happen with M&A? There is too much on the line to never know. What hashtag do I need to get going to save the show?
Watch it on NBC or Peacock.
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 The Real Housewives of Atlanta (Season 16)
This season has found the right ingredients, but we still need production to work on getting the amounts correct. Shamea started strong, but her unwillingness to remove herself from Porsha’s side and her corny comebacks have soured her for me. Brit’s “Garden Party” was honestly hilarious because it was a hot mess. Don’t ever invite me to a party and have me watch people eat food that I am not allowed to have. Just like the guest she denied food, take her peach for next season!
I loved Phaedra on The Traitors, but I didn’t need her back on RHOA. The show brings out her worst tendencies to be a mean girl in a way that is simply not fun. She and Porsha are not the dynamic duo people think they are. As Nene would say “Freak and Fraud!” Everyone needs to stop ganging up on Drew and calling her a liar. Leave Drewnochio alone! That means you, Kelli! Find your own storyline. Angela better be first chair at the reunion for carrying this entire soft reboot on her back. Her reads are hilarious and natural, unlike some of her castmates. With the Drew and Porsha back and forth dwindling (thank GOD), I am interested to see how the season winds down.
I added this in last minute, but the reunion seating chart came out today and it PISSED ME OFF BAD! Why is Phaedra second chair? Angela not in first chair, but Shamea?! Drew LAST while Cynthia (a friend of) is third on the other couch? This is diabolical! Throw both couches away!!! The only good thing was Brit not showing up!
Watch it on Bravo or Peacock.
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 📺 Elsbeth (Season 2)
They’re splitting up Elsbeth and Kaya! My Shaylas!!! Per Deadline, Carra Patterson will not be returning as a full-time cast member next season, but rather making guest appearances throughout the season. It makes sense as her character, Officer Blanke, embarks on a new adventure in DC, but I will miss the weekly shenanigans of the dynamic duo. The finale was right up my alley as a musical theater nerd. The nods to Chicago and revisiting characters from throughout both seasons were exactly how the season needed to end. I am interested to see where the story goes next season with Elsbeth not having Kaya by her side. What new friends will she make along the way?
Watch it on CBS or Paramount+.
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 📺 Hacks (Season 4)
The penultimate episode was so good. Give Julianne Nicholson an Emmy for playing Dance Mom. I loved the Desperate Housewives callback of them finding her on the set and Mary Alice being revealed as her name. It’s the type of niche reference that I live for on this show. I am sad to report that I didn’t love the finale as much though. I would probably rank it last in terms of all four season endings. People often complain the show feels rushed, and I agree with that critique in this episode. I don’t know if I loved the trip to Singapore. It felt removed from the rest of the season in a way that left me feeling a bit led astray. I love the translator though. I need more of her!
There was room to explore more in this episode, but having so much of the episode be montages made it hard to connect with what the writers wanted the audience to feel. I would have liked to see Deborah’s seeming depression from not being able to work play out over more than one episode. What I did like was how open-ended the final scene felt. For the first time on the show, I have no idea where the next season will go and that’s exciting!
Watch it on HBO Max (lol at the name change…again).
My Rating: 📺 📺 📺 📺 On the Watchlist for June:
New Releases:
Ginny and Georgia (Netflix) — Premieres June 5th (today!!!)
The Real Housewives of Miami (Bravo and Peacock) — Premieres June 11th
The Bear (Hulu) — Premieres June 25th
Plus, all of the shows that continue from May and some of the shows on my backlog that I hope to get to since it’s a less crowded month. I will continue to update my opinions and ratings on any ongoing shows.
Happy Pride month! 🏳️🌈 Be who you areeeeeee, for your PRiiiIIIIIiiiIIIiiiDE! 🌈
I look forward to watching the small pool of shows coming out this month. I hope this season of The Bear doesn’t disappoint me like the last one. Justice for Sydney!
The Wicked: For Good trailer came out yesterday, and I cannot wait for the movie. Inject Cynthia’s “No Good Deed” into my veins.
What shows did you enjoy in May? Was there anything that surprised you or let you down? What are you looking forward to watching in June?
Drop them down in the comments!
I think, for me, why the Hacks finale didn't hit was because it felt more like a premiere. I kind of wish they had ended at Deborah saying she wanted to be alone. I would have preferred no closure and wow was that an episode.
I have had Overcompensating on my radar but Mindy's work really hasn't been my jam for her last few shows. Seeing all the hype was giving me flashbacks to the sex lives of college girls hype which was a show i genuinely found irritating and largely unfunny.
My summer is now off to a start with love island back but I'm still very much between shows with everything wrapping up last month. I fear for my sanity in finding something new that isn't just hot people in a villa doing what hot people do.
If I haven't said it before, I love your writing and summaries of tv! I look forward to this post and generally all of yours which all have a great voice and really capture a great perspective on tv! No one watches like I do in my life and wants to talk about it so it's lovely to have found your corner of substack.
So they confirmed Overcompensating is set in 2013? I saw some people saying it was supposed to be present day. 2013 makes total sense. I did my college years slightly before that and so many of the references felt like they were taken right out of my own experience 😂.